by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
Translation by Franz Theremin (1780 - 1846)
Fame, wisdom, love, and power were mine
Language: English
Fame, wisdom, love, and power were mine, And health and youth possess'd me; My goblets blush'd from every vine, And lovely forms carress'd me; I sunn'd my heart in beauty's eyes, And felt my soul grow tender; All earth can give, or mortal prize, Was mine of regal splendour. I strive to number o'er what days Remembrance can discover, Which all that life or earth displays Would lure me to live over. There rose no day, there roll'd no hour Of pleasure unembitter'd: And not a trapping deck'd my power That gall'd not while it glitter'd. The serpent of the field, by art And spells, is won from harming; But that which coils around the heart, Oh! who hath power of charming? It will not list to wisdom's lore, Nor music's voice can lure it; But there it stings for evermore The soul that must endure it.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "All is vanity, saith the preacher", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 21, first published 1815 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by David Leo Diamond (1915 - 2005), "All is vanity", published 1969 [ voice and piano ], from Hebrew melodies, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Isaac Nathan (1790 - 1864), "Fame, wisdom, love and power", published 1815 [ voice and piano ], from A Selection of Hebrew Melodies No. I, no. 21 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Franz Theremin (1780 - 1846) , "Alles ist eitel, spricht der Prediger", appears in Hebräische Gesänge, first published 1820 ; composed by Carl Debrois van Bruyck , M. Henle, Carl Loewe.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Alexis Paulin Pâris) , "Tout est vanité, dit l'Ecclésiaste", appears in Mélodies hébraïques, no. 21
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-02
Line count: 24
Word count: 147
Es waren Ruhm und Weisheit mein
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Es waren Ruhm und Weisheit mein, Und Jugend und mächtiges Walten. Ich trank aus goldnen Bechern Wein, Umgeben von holden Gestalten. Ich sonnte mein Herz in ihrem Blick, Und fühlte von Lieb' es erglühen. Was der Mensch sich wünscht, und was spendet das Glück, War mir, als dem Herrscher, verliehen. Ich lasse die verfloßne Zeit Am Geist vorüber schweben. Möcht' ich bei all' der Herrlichkeit Sie noch einmal verleben? Kein Tag, keine Stund' ist dahingerollt Wo sanft mein Herz gerastet, Und meine Würde schmückte kein Gold, Das mich nicht schwer belastet. Die grimmen Schlangen auf dem Feld, Vermag die Kunst zu zähmen; Die, so das Herz gefangen hält, Wie ihr den Stachel nehmen? Sie horcht nicht auf der Weisheit Wort, Auf Saiten, kunstvoll geschlagen, Ihr Stachel brennet immerfort, Der Geist, er muß es ertragen!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Franz Theremin (1780 - 1846), "Alles ist eitel, spricht der Prediger", appears in Hebräische Gesänge, first published 1820 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "All is vanity, saith the preacher", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 21, first published 1815
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Carl Debrois van Bruyck (1828 - 1902), "Alles ist eitel spricht der Prediger Salern" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by M. Henle , "Alles ist eitel, spricht der Prediger", op. 4 no. 6, published 1897 [ voice and piano ], from Hebräische Gesänge nach jüdischen Melodien, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Alles ist eitel, spricht der Prediger", op. 4 (Hebräische Gesänge) no. 4 (1823) [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: John H. Campbell
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-02
Line count: 24
Word count: 134